The New Roadster Will Be Tesla's Last Manually Driven Car

Tesla is betting big on an autonomous future. But there will be one major exception: the new Roadster.

During the Roadster’s debut, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the sports car will eventually be the only model in the company’s lineup designed to be driven by a human. With the Model S and Model X on their way out, we can’t say we’re all that surprised.

As Musk put it:

'This will actually be long term the only manually driven car that Tesla makes… So if it’s going to be the only manually driven car, let’s take it to the limits and beyond the limits.'

Tesla is positioning the Roadster as its ultimate performance car. The company says it has developed technology to deliver extraordinary acceleration, cornering ability, and overall performance.

That includes a fan-based suction system underneath the car that’s designed to generate up to 2 g of additional cornering force. The technology draws on work associated with SpaceX, bringing some of Tesla’s aerospace ambitions to the road.

Tesla also claims the Roadster will hit 60 miles per hour in under one second.

Production is scheduled to begin sometime in 2028.

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